Awareness can go a long way towards fighting and preventing diabetes. Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases, clinically known as Diabetes mellitus (DM) in which a person has high blood sugar either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is being produced in the body. Glucose is vital to human health because it's the main source of energy for the cells that build muscles and tissues. High blood sugar produces the common symptoms of frequent urination, increased thirst and increased hunger. If anyone has diabetes, no matter what type, it means he has too much glucose in his blood, although the reasons may differ and too much glucose can lead to serious health hazards.
There are two main types of diabetes: Type-1 diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and requires the person to inject insulin. Type-2 diabetes results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. People should know that type 2 is, to a large extent, preventable. That is a very important message for all affected by diabetes.
A full and healthy life is possible with diabetes. This is a very important message for all affected by diabetes. The developing countries typically focus on communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases like diabetes have been neglected which should not at all the case.
The term diabetes, coined by Aretaeus of Cappadocia, was derived from the Greek verb diabaínein. In 1675, Thomas Willis added the word mellitus, from the Latin meaning "honey", a reference to the sweet taste of the urine. This sweet taste had been noticed in urine by the ancient Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, Indians and Persians. Indian philosopher Sushruta named it Medhumeha. The ancient Indians were tested for diabetes by observing whether ants were attracted to a person's urine, and called the ailment "sweet urine disease" (Madhumeha). In his 14 volume medical encyclopedia The Canon of Medicine,( 1025) Avicenna (980-1037) gave, for the first time, a detailed account of diabetes mellitus, "describing the abnormal appetite and the collapse of sexual functions," and he documented the sweet taste of diabetic urine. The endocrine role of the pancreas in metabolism, and indeed the existence of insulin, was not further clarified until 1921, when Sir Frederick Grant Banting ( 1891-1941) and Charles Herbert Best (1899-1978) led to the availability of an effective treatment-insulin injections. For this, Banting and laboratory director MacLeod received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimated that 7.2 million or 4.8 per cent of people living in Bangladesh had diabetes in 2007 and by 2025, that number is expected to grow to 9.2 million or 6.1 per cent of the population. This rise in diabetes prevalence will place Bangladesh among the top ten countries in terms of the number of people living with diabetes in 2025.
The Bangladesh Diabetic Samity (BADAS), established on February 28, 1956 with the initiative of Late National Professor Dr M Ibrahim (1911-1989), has a declared motto - look after all people with diabetes irrespective of their ability to pay, status or other factors. BADAS has developed several institutions/projects and inspired a large number of affiliated associations all over the country to fulfill the mission. BADAS is self-reliant and not donor dependent. BADAS is the pioneer and first success story of Public Private Partnership (PPP) development in Bangladesh. It has developed infrastructure through partnerships with the government. BADAS provides services to the affluent and to people who do not have diabetes through a policy of cross-financing, and then help those living with diabetes with the surplus capital that it generates.
BIRDEM (Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders) is the central institute of BADAS which provides comprehensive diabetic healthcare to the people. It is a unique creation of the BADAS and has been acclaimed as a model institution in Asia and the Pacific. The institute has: (a) 650 in-patient beds (b) large out-patient facilities. BIRDEM has about 0.5 million registered diabetic patients, more than 4,000 people visit the institute daily and out of these patients, 75-100 are new patients. From the point of this influx of patients treated everyday, BIRDEM has been adjudged as a unique and successful health service provider across the globe.
BADAS adopted a decentralised model and has spread its service throughout the country. There are 63 affiliated associations in Bangladesh - almost one in every district. They have to follow certain standards - they must be democratic, transparent, must be run by social workers, and must be non-profit oriented. BADAS has been able to create comparatively excellent diabetes awareness. Bangladesh is a developing country, but in terms of awareness of diabetes, it is far ahead of some developed countries.
Research is another area where BADAS puts great emphasis and this is unlike many other associations particularly in developing countries. Research is a tool for generation of context-based knowledge and also generation of skilled manpower. Recognising the contribution of BADAS in this sector, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1982 declared BIRDEM as a Collaborating Centre for Research on Prevention and Control of Diabetes.
Dr. Muhammad Abdul Mazid, former Secretary and Chairman NBR, Chief Coordinator, Bangladesh Diabetic Samity. [email protected]
